title: Iron contamination during in-field milling of millet and sorghum.
abstract: Nutritionally, contaminant iron in foods may lead to overestimation of the satisfaction of iron requirement while iron deficiencies remain a widespread health problem. Iron contamination was measured in millet and sorghum grains after decortication and in-field milling using different equipments in Burkina Faso. Total iron content did not change significantly after decortication, probably due to a balance between losses resulting from the removal of iron-rich peripheral parts and contamination. Total iron contents increased significantly after mechanical milling irrespective of whether iron or corundum grindstones were used. Contamination was highly variable, ranging from 3 to 6 mg iron/100 g DM, and was mainly due to wear of the milling equipment. After in vitro digestion of traditional cereal dishes prepared with iron-contaminated or uncontaminated flours, the contaminant iron was found mainly in the insoluble fraction. Only in sorghum was a small proportion (4%) bioaccessible, showing that contaminant iron has poor nutritional interest.
authors.affiliation: IRD, UMR 204 "Prévention des Malnutritions et des Pathologies associées" (Nutripass), IRD/Université Montpellier 2/Université Montpellier 1, B.P. 64501, 34394 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
authors.forename: Christèle
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Icard-Vernière
authors.forename: Fatoumata
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hama
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Guyot
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Picq
authors.forename: Bréhima
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Diawara
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mouquet-Rivier
mesh_terms: D005433:Flour / Q000032:analysis; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005511:Food Handling; D007501:Iron / Q000032:analysis*; D008897:Panicum / Q000737:chemistry*; D045868:Sorghum / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D007501:Iron